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Dallin Watene-Zelezniak makes shocking captain’s call as Bulldogs downed by Rabbitohs
Paul Crawley, The Daily Telegraph
July 5, 2020 10:26pm
If you line up Wayne Bennett’s star-studded roster against Dean Pay’s it’s not a fair fight.
But such is the fight Pay has put in his battling Canterbury Bulldogs that they pushed spluttering South Sydney right to the finish before eventually falling 26-10 at Bankwest.
As pressure mounts on the Canterbury board to make a decision on Pay’s future, his players showed once again that one thing they won’t do is give up on their coach.
Souths survived in a four-tries-to-two win after leading 8-6 at halftime, although Bennett said he was not disappointed given he always anticipated a tough contest.
“I didn’t think we were too bad in the first 40,” Bennett said.
“You’ve got to understand, they are playing pretty good Canterbury. It is an 80 minute game and that is what you’ve got to play for.”
PRIDE OF THE DOGS
They are sitting dead last on the NRL ladder but one thing you can’t accuse the Bulldogs of is not giving their all.
If you were being honest perhaps six Canterbury players would make most of the top NRL squads, with the rest borderline.
That’s not being disrespectful, that’s reality.
Yet they work their backsides off pretty much every week for the same tired result.
Pay said it again: “There was a lot more commitment there.”
And there was. It must break their hearts.
But until they go out and go hard in the player market it won’t change, no matter who is coaching the Bulldogs.
DWZ’S BAD CALL
After holding Souths 14-10 midway through the second half, a crucial captain’s challenge from Dallin Watene-Zelezniak was match-defining.
On a kick return deep inside his half, Watene-Zelazniak lost control of the ball and soon after Cody Walker was over.
Dane Gagai then put the match to bed with an almost length of the field intercept try in the final minute.
Adam Reynolds’s kicking game was well off but he defended strongly, while Tom Burgess and Jaydn Su’a were the pick of the forwards.
Walker was hardly sighted in the first half, not having a run before the break.
But the halves sparked in the second half with Reynolds setting up a try for Su’a with a clever grubber kick before Walker’s try.
The Rabbitohs now take on Wests Tigers on Friday at Bankwest.
AJ’S DOGS AUDITION
Alex Johnston was told during the week that he won’t be at Redfern next year because the Bunnies can’t fit him into their salary cap.
So given he needs a home for 2021, he showed the Bulldogs why he could be a bargain buy given they are currently courting Canberra winger Nick Cotric for a reported $750,000 a season.
Johnston’s wage at Souths would be half of that at best.
But his express pace was on show when he ran onto a classy ball from Latrell Mitchell and torched Watene-Zelezniak with a sharp-in-and-away on a blistering 65m sprint.
It’s was Johnston’s 90th try in South Sydney colours after setting himself the challenge of trying to cracking his century by season’s end.
To put that in perspective, Gagai debuted three years before Johnston and only scored his 50th NRL with that late effort.
Johnston has now scored seven tries for the season and in five consecutive games.
THOMPSON TO RESCUE
English import Luke Thompson will make his highly anticipated NRL debut next Saturday against the struggling Brisbane Broncos.
Thompson hasn’t played all year and apparently suffered leg soreness after two weeks of heavy training while in isolation after arriving in Australia.
A PROMISING PUP
The Bulldogs have been trying to settle on their halves combination all season.
Classy youngster Brandon Wakeham looks to be finding his feet alongside Kieran Foran.
After jumping ahead of Lachy Lewis and Jack Cogger, the 21-year-old held his own for the most part against two of the best in Walker and Reynolds.
The former Westfields Sports High gun set up the Bulldogs’ only first half try for Marcelo Montoya with a deft chip kick.
It was welcome moment for Montoya who was returning after more than a year on the sidelines through injury.
Given Wakeham has only played eight first grade games he is a real talent on the rise.
For @Prison Mike
Paul Crawley, The Daily Telegraph
July 5, 2020 10:26pm
If you line up Wayne Bennett’s star-studded roster against Dean Pay’s it’s not a fair fight.
But such is the fight Pay has put in his battling Canterbury Bulldogs that they pushed spluttering South Sydney right to the finish before eventually falling 26-10 at Bankwest.
As pressure mounts on the Canterbury board to make a decision on Pay’s future, his players showed once again that one thing they won’t do is give up on their coach.
Souths survived in a four-tries-to-two win after leading 8-6 at halftime, although Bennett said he was not disappointed given he always anticipated a tough contest.
“I didn’t think we were too bad in the first 40,” Bennett said.
“You’ve got to understand, they are playing pretty good Canterbury. It is an 80 minute game and that is what you’ve got to play for.”
PRIDE OF THE DOGS
They are sitting dead last on the NRL ladder but one thing you can’t accuse the Bulldogs of is not giving their all.
If you were being honest perhaps six Canterbury players would make most of the top NRL squads, with the rest borderline.
That’s not being disrespectful, that’s reality.
Yet they work their backsides off pretty much every week for the same tired result.
Pay said it again: “There was a lot more commitment there.”
And there was. It must break their hearts.
But until they go out and go hard in the player market it won’t change, no matter who is coaching the Bulldogs.
DWZ’S BAD CALL
After holding Souths 14-10 midway through the second half, a crucial captain’s challenge from Dallin Watene-Zelezniak was match-defining.
On a kick return deep inside his half, Watene-Zelazniak lost control of the ball and soon after Cody Walker was over.
Dane Gagai then put the match to bed with an almost length of the field intercept try in the final minute.
Adam Reynolds’s kicking game was well off but he defended strongly, while Tom Burgess and Jaydn Su’a were the pick of the forwards.
Walker was hardly sighted in the first half, not having a run before the break.
But the halves sparked in the second half with Reynolds setting up a try for Su’a with a clever grubber kick before Walker’s try.
The Rabbitohs now take on Wests Tigers on Friday at Bankwest.
AJ’S DOGS AUDITION
Alex Johnston was told during the week that he won’t be at Redfern next year because the Bunnies can’t fit him into their salary cap.
So given he needs a home for 2021, he showed the Bulldogs why he could be a bargain buy given they are currently courting Canberra winger Nick Cotric for a reported $750,000 a season.
Johnston’s wage at Souths would be half of that at best.
But his express pace was on show when he ran onto a classy ball from Latrell Mitchell and torched Watene-Zelezniak with a sharp-in-and-away on a blistering 65m sprint.
It’s was Johnston’s 90th try in South Sydney colours after setting himself the challenge of trying to cracking his century by season’s end.
To put that in perspective, Gagai debuted three years before Johnston and only scored his 50th NRL with that late effort.
Johnston has now scored seven tries for the season and in five consecutive games.
THOMPSON TO RESCUE
English import Luke Thompson will make his highly anticipated NRL debut next Saturday against the struggling Brisbane Broncos.
Thompson hasn’t played all year and apparently suffered leg soreness after two weeks of heavy training while in isolation after arriving in Australia.
A PROMISING PUP
The Bulldogs have been trying to settle on their halves combination all season.
Classy youngster Brandon Wakeham looks to be finding his feet alongside Kieran Foran.
After jumping ahead of Lachy Lewis and Jack Cogger, the 21-year-old held his own for the most part against two of the best in Walker and Reynolds.
The former Westfields Sports High gun set up the Bulldogs’ only first half try for Marcelo Montoya with a deft chip kick.
It was welcome moment for Montoya who was returning after more than a year on the sidelines through injury.
Given Wakeham has only played eight first grade games he is a real talent on the rise.
For @Prison Mike
